KJV ORIGINAL
Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Flow through your land like a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more restraint.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse is telling Tarshish (a wealthy trading nation) that they are now free to spread out through their land because the power that once controlled them is gone.
📚 Historical Context
Tarshish was likely a wealthy Phoenician trading colony, possibly in Spain, that was economically connected to Tyre. When Tyre fell to foreign powers, Tarshish lost its major trading partner and the commercial restrictions that came with that relationship. Isaiah is describing how Tarshish can now expand freely through its own territory without the constraints of its former trade dependencies.
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